The third edition of the Red Book of the Penza region: I. Vascular plants

Since the publication of the second edition of the Red Book of the Penza Region in 2013, 10 years have passed, during which the authors of this article and other botanists have been working on maintaining the regional Red Book. As a result, the list of protected flora objects has been slightly changed. 26 species of vascular plants were recommended for inclusion in the third edition of the Red Book of the Penza Region, and 15 species were excluded from it. Thus, vascular plants were represented by 211 species in the list of species for the third edition of the Red Book of the Penza region. Of these, 195 species are angiosperms, 2 are gymnosperms and 14 are higher spore plants. The paper provides information about the biological features of rare species and the natural causes of their vulnerability within the study area. The issue of the measures taken to protect the ecotopes in which these objects are found in the system of protected areas of the Penza region is being considered. The list of territories including habitats of species recommended for inclusion in the third edition of the Red Book of the Penza region, promising for the creation of natural monuments of regional importance within their limits, is given. Information is provided on the anthropogenic impact on the habitats of rare species and the nature of its changes in recent decades.